The term ‘naturopathy’ is derived partly from a Latin word, ‘natura’, and partly from a Greek word, ‘pathos’, suggesting natural healing for all sufferings. The treatment of any health disorder in this system will be with or through nature. No drug is used, being unnatural and manmade. According to naturopathy, when we use any drugs for healing, we actually take our body systems by surprise as the body cannot assimilate it naturally. On the contrary, in most cases, drugs suppress the body’s immune system and produce toxic side effects. At times, the side effects are more dangerous than the original disease for which the medicine was prescribed. Naturopathic practice, on the other hand, is based on a faith in the body’s ability to heal itself by the natural, internal healing process of the body.
Naturopathy is ‘holistic” in its approach taking the human body as a whole – it treats the root cause of a disease and not the symptoms. Diagnosis and treatments use natural methods that promote the body’s own ability to heal. Naturopaths focus on treatments based on natural forces, completely avoiding the use of surgery and drugs. Naturopaths aim to prevent illness through stress reduction and bringing changes to diet and lifestyle.